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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. cue — a signal
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. firm — steady
  8. cue — for pool
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. cue — a hint
  11. kick — in football
  12. rock — music
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. firm — a company
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bat — for baseball

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com